Police said a 34-year-old Santa Cruz man crashed his car into the Rio Theater before killing himself with shards of glass.

Police said a 34-year-old Santa Cruz man crashed his car into the Rio Theater before killing himself with shards of glass.

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Updated: 1:48 PM PST Feb 7, 2014

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WEBVTT in santa cruz, clean-up today after A DRIVERINTENTIONALLY CRASHEDHIS CAR INTO THEHISTORIC RIO THEATRElast night.ACTION NEWS REPORTERPHIL GOMEZ, WAS ONSCENE TODAY....HEJOINS US LIVE FROMSANTA CRUZ WITH MOREON THIS BIZARREINCIDENT....PHIL???SANTA CRUZ POLICERECEIVED REPORTS THATTHE DRIVER WASSPEEDING ERRATICALLYALONG HIGHWAY ONEAND MORRISSEYBOULEVARD BEFORE HECRASHED INTO THE RIOTHEATRE.NO CLUES AS TO THEMOTIVE... BUTFORTUNATELY, THEPOPULAR RIO THEATREWAS CLOSED, OTHERWISEIT COULD HAVE BEEN AWHOLE LOT WORSE.A vehicle into the Rio Theatrewith driver outside thevehicle...Total left field. I got a callfrom abuddy of mine and its just totalshock. No sleep last night.Couldn't gget in until 3 in themorning. Until police officersgotdone.THE DRIVER TOOK OUTTHE THEATRES TICKETBOOTH, THREE DOORS,EVENTUALLY COMING TOREST FORTY FEET INSIDETHE LOBBY.WORK CREWS WERE BUSYCLEANING UP THEDAMAGE BUT IT'S GOINGTO TAKE SOME TIME TORESTORE THE HISTORIC1940'S BUILDING BACK TOTHE WAY IT WAS.I think it's all re-doable. it'sjust amatter of taking photos andgetting skilled craftsmen toreplace the look. I mean,there'splenty of photos of the kiosk,butit is specialty aluminum stuff.theway they did it post art deco arstream line art deco.it's goingtotake us a little while. Youknow,she's historical.Police and others say they'rethankful there wasn't a showgoing on at the Rio, otherwisethere could have been a lot morepeople injured.It's typically a very crowdedareaand very crowded sidewalk areaout front and we're just sothankful that was not the caselast night.THE RIO THEATRE ISBOOKED AND FRIDAYNIGHT IS THE BAYMONTECHRISTIAN SCHOOLTALENT SHOW.THE PHONES WERERINGING OFF THE HOOKAT THE SCHOOL FROMPARENTS WONDERING IFTHE EVENT WAS STILL AGO.The event is a go.Our kids are going to be doing atalent show on the same stagethat some pretty famousperformances have been and it'sgoing to be a neat tribute tothem.THIS ISN'T THE FIRSTTIME SOMEONE CAMECRASHING INTO THE RIO...BACK IN 19-77ANOTHER VEHICLECAUSED DAMAGE....THERIO MANAGEMENT MAYASK THE CITY TO PUT INSOME TYPE OF BARRIERIN THE FUTURE...AGAIN, THE CRASH WILLNOT EFFECT ANY OF THESHOWS THAT ARESCHEDULEDTHE DRIVER OF THECAR SURVIVED THECRASH BUT LATER TOOKHIS OWN LIFE... POLICESAY HE HAD A HISTORYOF DRUG, ALCOHOL ANDTHEFT RELATEDOFFENSES.####ON THE HEALTH

Santa Cruz Rio Theater crash cleanup beings

Police said a 34-year-old Santa Cruz man crashed his car into the Rio Theater before killing himself with shards of glass.